


New Year's Eve

by Featherfur



Series: Seasons Change But My Love For You Never Does [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Background Sunaosa, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, New Year's Eve, Post-Time Skip, Shinsuke experiences nerves for the first time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:35:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27052042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherfur/pseuds/Featherfur
Summary: He didn’t need any physical proof to know that Ojiro Aran was going to be stepping up to his right side, looking so uniquely at home no matter where he was, and would steal his breath away.“New Years is a holiday for family,” Shinsuke finally said, turning around to look at his team. “I can spend it with both of mine, Granny’s already asleep by this time anyways.”A laugh built in his chest, expelled in a soft familiar snort at his team’s reactions.Kita Shinsuke has never been nervous before, but seeing Aran smile at him has always caused him to feel different then usual.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Ojiro Aran
Series: Seasons Change But My Love For You Never Does [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876720
Comments: 7
Kudos: 97





	New Year's Eve

“I thought you would be spending the holiday with your Granny.” Akagi’s voice was soft and carried in the winter air. For a moment Shinsuke didn’t say anything.

It was a ridiculous thing to think, but for a moment he could  _ feel _ his team gathering around him. He didn’t need to look around to see Atsumu with an arm around Osamu and Suna, Ginjima trying to nudge Riseki forward and manhandle him into an extra coat. He didn’t need eyes to know Oomimi was sliding up on his left and would be watching him curiously. 

He didn’t need any physical proof to know that Ojiro Aran was going to be stepping up to his right side, looking so uniquely at home no matter where he was, and would steal his breath away.

“New Years is a holiday for family,” Shinsuke finally said, turning around to look at his old team. “I can spend it with both of mine, Granny’s already asleep by this time anyways.”

A laugh built in his chest, expelled in a soft familiar snort at his team’s reactions.

“ _ Kita-san _ .” The second years wailed together, shaking each other and reaching over to shake Riseki who was trying to bundle up in Ginjima’s smaller coat. “He does love us!”

“It’s good to see you as well.” Oomimi said softly, eyes glimmering with affection. He stepped forward as Akagi leapt at his old captain, wrapping his arm around Akagi’s chest and holding him tightly against himself.

“Can you believe we’re all in Tokyo? The power of Kita Shinsuke!” Akagi chirped, finally giving into the taller man’s grip and holding onto his arm instead.

“Ah, so you’re the reason both the Red Falcons and the Black Jackals decided to play against the EJP huh?” Aran’s voice was warm and familiar, like sliding into the bath after a long day. “And here I was thinking the gods just really wanted me to keep Atsumu and Suna from fighting over who’s Osamu’s favorite.”

A laugh erupted from the team as Atsumu and Suna both yelled that it was them. The two twisted to glare at each other before Osamu and Ginjima pushed their way in between instead.

“We were going to go grab some food,” Riseki said, looking rather deflated as Ginjima’s smaller coat held firmly on his broad shoulders. “Wanna come with us?”

“Sure… Atsumu? Osamu?” Shinsuke called, watching both of them freeze in their impromptu wrestling match. They both blinked innocently at him, as if they didn’t know exactly what they were doing.

“Lead the way?”

“Oh yeah of course Kita-san.” Osamu gave a half bow, arm still locked around Atsumu’s neck, and started to lead the entire group away from the edge of the festival. Atsumu didn’t even bother to pretend he was upset, letting himself be led and already laughing at something Suna was saying to Ginjima.

“They’ve grown up but they never really  _ grow up _ do they?” Shinsuke hummed, chuckling softly. They had grown, so very much in the last six years. If this was highschool, they both would have been on the ground with snow flying and Aran would have had to pull them apart. The after-fight sulking would have taken atleast two more hours before they forgave each other enough to laugh and tease.

“Would it be the twins if they did? Separately they’re not bad but put them together and they both turn into five year olds.” Aran laughed, and Shinsuke couldn’t help but watch the clouds from his breath, chest feeling amazingly full and empty in the same heartbeat.

Aran even looked good. Unlike Akagi and Shinsuke who were in their traditional kimonos, Aran had decided to wear a pale pink peacoat like he was trying to make sure he would be able to be seen from any direction. Which, potentially was the point since most of the team had a habit of getting lost and screaming for Aran when they realized it. Shinsuke thought he was gorgeous.

Oomimi gave Shinsuke a knowing look as he pushed past, dragging Akagi across the grounds after their old teammates. There was a heart beat in which Shinsuke debated tossing a snowball at the back of Oomimi’s head but he let the thought pass. 

He hummed softly in answer to Aran’s question, watching the way the snow fell slowly around him. Snow slipped down the side of his head, building up on his ear. Curious brown eyes met Shinsuke’s gaze and he reached out without thinking.

Soft fingers glided over Aran’s cheek, absolutely no thoughts running through Shinsuke’s mind as he brushed the snow off. The cold stung his uncovered fingertips but he didn’t notice, far too fascinated by the way Aran naturally leaned into the touch. A single heartbeat passed but Shinsuke would have sworn it was a lifetime, as he cupped the smooth line of Aran’s jaw.

“Shin-” Aran started to ask and Shinsuke realized exactly what he was doing. Aran didn’t look upset, more amused and curious, but Shinsuke still knew it was impolite and he quickly pulled his hand away.

“You had snow on your ear.”

“Huh? Oh… Thank you.” Aran’s cheeks were tinged a touch darker as he reached up to brush his own hand over his ear, rubbing it nervously. As his hand slid back down, Shinsuke couldn’t help but notice the way it lingered where Shinsuke had held him for that single breath of time.

“We should catch up with the others, before someone starts a fight with Akagi over yakitori again.” Aran said after another moment passed, he turned without waiting for Shinsuke’s response, and started forward with cheeks definitely darker than before.

Shinsuke’s stomach twisted slightly as he followed, berating himself for not being more mindful. It was rude to just touch someone without permission, even if they had been friends for years. Aran wasn’t acting weird but Shinsuke knew he had to be thinking something about what just happened.

His stomach twisted again as they joined up with the rest of the team, passing out hot food to each other. Aran was already grinning again, ruffling Riseki’s hair as he tried to bow while offering a stick of meat.

It was a mess in Shinsuke’s chest. His heart beat a little harder at the sound of Aran’s laugh, so familiar and deep and affectionate, and his stomach dropped as the slightest cracks of panic started to invade his mind.

_ Yes _ , Shinsuke knew Aran cared about him. They were best friends, they had been since they met that first year of High School. Aran was constantly checking in on Shinsuke, making plans to keep up with him and always happy to adhere to Shinsuke’s schedule to see each other. Shinsuke wasn’t an idiot, he knew Aran liked him. Perhaps even had a lingering crush from High School. (Despite what Akagi teased, Shinsuke was well aware  _ most _ of the team had a crush on him atleast once.)

However there was a difference between a High School crush and wanting to be in a long term relationship with someone. Aran could still like him like he had then, but it didn’t mean he felt the same way Shinsuke did. It didn’t mean he wanted the same things Shinsuke did.

Shinsuke had no idea how to even begin to approach it.

When the words got caught in your throat, how do you ask if they love you too? How do you tell someone that seeing them felt like coming home? How do you ask if they wanted to spend every moment learning you as you yearned to learn them? How do you say ‘This is so much more than liking but so desperately close to love I’m terrified?’

The realization struck Shinsuke almost physically.

He was _ afraid _ .

He was scared of Aran’s reaction. The very idea of losing his best friend, the hope that he felt the same, was too much for the words to even form on Shinsuke’s lips. His stomach flipped again, unbidden and unwanted and he felt unsteady, his actions seemed far too unplanned.

For a moment all he could think about was the notion that he was nervous. That after starting his own farm, taking a thousand tests, diving for volleyballs going 60-70 kmh, and even eating Atsumu’s drunk cooking to keep him from crying, what made him nervous was  _ Aran. _ The very idea that Aran could never feel the same and would reject him, was somehow the most terrifying prospect that Kita Shinsuke had ever faced.

“Hey,” like a spell had been lifted, Shinsuke breathed out at the sound of Aran’s voice, “you okay? You don’t have to stay up all night with us y’know, we won’t mind if you need to sleep early.”

It was unfair, Shinsuke thought, how just seeing Aran could manage to light his nerves on fire and soothe their panic at the same moment. Especially when he had  _ that _ smile on his face.

The smile that made Shinsuke want to ask,  _ beg _ for Aran to say it was just for him. That Shinsuke wouldn’t have to share that smile with anyone else. Shinsuke wanted to ask if Aran could just keep looking at him for eternity, ask what he had to offer, what he could do.

It wasn’t Aran’s normal wide and open grin that he gave to everyone else. It wasn’t the one seconds from laughing over and over again, or even the fond exasperated smile that often followed the twins’ antics.

It was so much softer. Warm and homey, brown eyes taking apart Shinsuke’s heart with a single look and building it back together, while smooth lips parted just a touch. Lips curved so gently like Aran was trying to smile through the words that lingered on his tongue. Shinsuke wanted to ask what those words were, that were held back with that affectionate smile. He wanted to ask if Aran would whisper them against his skin.

He was scared the words he craved would never be meant to leave Aran’s lips towards him.

“I want to stay up.” Shinsuke finally said, reaching out to take the yakitori sticks Aran offered him. His fingers slid over Aran’s and he lingered longer than he should have, watching the curious light glow in the taller man’s gaze.

“Really, Aran, I’m an adult and I can stay up past my bedtime.” He teased, the unease in his stomach settling as Aran snorted.

“I don’t know, I remember a certain captain who couldn’t stay up past eight no matter what during training camp… Now… Which captain was it?” Aran hummed, lips curling despite his best efforts at the sight of Shinsuke’s ears turning red. “Oomimi do you remember which captain couldn’t stay up with us no matter how many times he said he would?”

Oomimi looked nearly as amused, watching Shinsuke bodily shove his shoulder into an immovable Aran. He and Akagi shared a knowing glance before deciding to play along.

“Hmm, was it Fujiwara-san?” Oomimi asked, watching with fascination as the younger men stopped to watch the teasing like it was a volleyball match.

“Okay, I get it-” Shinsuke sighed, rolling his eyes at them before Aran’s arm wrapped tightly around his shoulder to keep him in place. The warmth was an amazing distraction and he had to force himself not to completely and utterly melt into his arms.

“No, I don’t think it was Captain Fujiwara… Akagi?” Aran asked, tucking Shinsuke into his side like he belonged there permanently. Shinsuke was either going to end the night with a kiss or a dead body, he hadn’t decided yet.

“Oh! Maybe it was Captain Inoue?” Akagi chirped, cackling softly at Shinsuke’s flat look.

He got the joke. He wasn’t good at staying up past his determined bedtime in highschool but that was then and this was now.

“Nope, couldn’t have been him, he played cards with us until eleven remember?” Aran hummed, turning and pulling Shinsuke with him. Shinsuke went far more willingly then he wanted to admit, craving the heat that Aran was putting out even through his coat.

“I’m sorry I know how to sleep properly.” Shinsuke rolled his eyes, pursing his lips when he caught the twins snickering to each other. Immediately they froze, looking away and shoving Ginjima further down the street towards some of the other vendors. Amusement flooded him as he watched Suna prance after them, abandoning Riseki amongst his old senpai.

Shinsuke caught his eye as Aran dragged him down the street, pantomiming a snowball and pointing to the ground. Riseki hesitated, looking rather confused but leaned down to build up some of the snow into a tightly packed ball. Shinsuke waved him over, careful to not alert Aran with his movement.

Akagi nearly gave him away with a bark of laughter before he spun and shoved his face into Oomimi’s chest to muffle the noise. Aran glanced back at him concerned, but didn’t say anything about the strange reaction.

“Maybe it was a different captain,” Aran continued his teasing as Riseki passed the snowball over to Shinsuke, “someone who promised twice that he was going to stay up with me to watch the kids and then went directly to bed.”

“Aran.” Shinsuke said softly, waiting until gleeful eyes landed on him, before depositing the snowball directly on his head. “I think you should sleep more, you seem to have missed a bunch of snow falling on your head.”

He could see Riseki staring at them from the corner of his eye, looking like he’d just had his world broken around him. Akagi and Oomimi just chuckled, encouraging him to keep walking as he tried to understand what he’d just helped his captain do.

“ _ Shinsuke _ !” Aran gasped, a shudder running through him as the snow started to melt and slide down the back of his neck. Shinsuke didn’t even bother trying to lie to himself, hearing his given name from Aran’s lips was by far the best thing that had happened in the last year and he was already craving it again.

Aran reached up and wiped off what was still frozen, flicking his hand and letting it cover Shinsuke instead.

“I think you’ve got me confused with yourself.” Aran said back, glancing up at two offended shouts.

“Don’t bully Kita-san!” Osamu gasped, looking much more upset at Aran’s treatment of their old captain then Shinsuke himself.

“I can’t believe you Aran-kun, I thought better of you than this, being mean to Kita-san.” Atsumu admonished, moving over with his twin to help Shinsuke brush the ice powder out of his hair.

“Better than-  _ He just did it to me _ .” Aran blurted, sputtering out the words in half outrage. Shinsuke couldn’t help but laugh, quickly turning it into a snort instead but a quick look at Aran and he knew Aran wasn’t fooled.

“Now he’s sick, Aran-kun you’re so mean.” Atsumu complained for Shinsuke, pouting at Aran like he was the one dealing with wet hair.

“Mean huh? I’ll show you mean.” Aran snapped, he fluffed up their hair with a quick tussle before wrapping an arm around both of the twins’ necks as they screeched. Aran just laughed at them and dragged them further down the street.

“No more ‘Kita-san’ for you two, until you learn to behave.” Aran proclaimed, pulling them away despite the whining that rose from both of them. “Suna is in charge of Kita now.”

“Oh yeah that’s going to end well.” Osamu’s dry sarcasm filtered back to them but he stopped fighting the larger man and let himself be carted off.

“Finally, I’m the boss. Ultimate power.” Suna’s voice didn’t shift in the slightest, though his eyes gleamed with mischief. Shinsuke just gave him a flat look, tilting his head after the others and after a moment they followed at a much more sedentary pace.

“So…” Suna said after Atsumu caught sight of a fried food stand and dragged Aran and Osamu off to it. He seemed almost as nervous as Shinsuke felt when he thought about confessing.

“Yes?”

“....” Suna pursed his lips together, tilting his head from side to side as if he was debating whether to speak or not. “When are you going to confess to Aran?”

A single eyebrow raise was all it took to make Suna wince and look toward the other side of the festival. He glanced back twice, checking to see if he was still getting the cold stare down. At the second glance, Shinsuke finally relented and moved back to watching the road as they followed Akagi’s ecstatic rushing from vendor to vendor.

“Yakitori?” Shinsuke offered the second stick and Suna gratefully took the chance to avoid the discussion and buried his teeth into the first piece of chicken. “And perhaps. I’m not sure it’s time yet, however.”

Suna hummed, chewing carefully through the chicken. He pulled his phone out, managing two photos of Akagi with a face full of taiyaki before he slipped it back in his pocket and turned to Shinsuke.

“With all due respect… I don’t think there really is a …  _ time _ to confess. I think you have to make time.” Suna said thoughtfully, eyes trailing over the crowd to meet the black hair of Osamu, almost eaten by the crowd. If it hadn’t been for Aran’s bright pink coat, Osamu and Atsumu would have disappeared easily into the mix of tourists and party-go-ers.

“And you haven’t confessed then because…?” Shinsuke asked, following his gaze easily. He was surprised they still hadn’t gotten together, despite Osamu’s many denials he was just as impatient as his brother. Shinsuke would have thought Osamu would have jumped at the chance to ask Suna out as soon as they’d both settled in their careers.

“I’m a coward.” Suna said easily, no hint of shame on his face as he took another bite of the yakitori. “ ‘Samu tried to ask when we graduated and I ran off before he could so he’s waiting on me. Question is, what happens if I fuck up- can I say fuck in front of you?”

Shinsuke thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“I’m not your captain anymore, go ahead.”

“Great. What happens if I fuck shit up, which I will, and then I have to deal with sad ‘Samu and pissy ‘Tsumu?” Suna asked, nearly biting through the wood of the stick with his next bite.

“I would assume, knowin’ you two, that ‘Samu would take a few days to cool off then come back and talk it over and you would just ignore ‘Tsumu.” Shinsuke watched him think the words over, wondering if this was how he sounded when he’d panic texted Oomimi and Suna a few days before. No wonder they’d both been subtly laughing at him.

“Oh that’s a good point. I do love ignoring ‘Tsumu…” There was a pause, before Suna’s eyes grew dark with a seriousness unlike him off court. “You know my parents divorced, which is why I came to Hyogo in the first place. Everything was great at first, thirteen years of marriage and then boom they woke up one day and hated each other. It was a screaming mess all day every day… My mother used to tell me that love isn’t a feeling it’s a choice, a commitment, a promise…I don’t know if I could survive ‘Samu waking up one day and deciding I’m not worth the commitment.” 

Shinsuke let the words flow over him, quietly thinking and Suna fell into step beside him. They made their way away from the main vendors, and the lights of the festival were just enough to see the park before them. Akagi had managed to wrestle Atsumu away from Aran and Osamu and was currently trying to get him to play some sort of game.

Shinsuke’s eyes met Aran’s for a heartbeat, watching his face light up with that familiar smile before Aran was tilting his head down to say something to Osamu.

Shinsuke stopped at the edge of the grass, watching them and Suna slid to a stop beside him. Curious eyes eyed him but Shinsuke didn’t respond, enjoying the cold air blowing over his face and the addicting warmth of comfort he got from seeing Aran smile.

“Suna… If Aran were to wake up in thirteen years and decide he didn’t want to be with me anymore, I don’t know what I would do. I would like to think I would accept his stance and let him move on, but truly I don’t know… But I think having atleast those thirteen years, knowing he loved me then would make it worth it. It’s a risk any relationship has, you can’t avoid it. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t confess and enjoy the here and now. You know ‘Samu cares for ya, so think about that and how you feel now and say somethin’.” Shinsuke’s voice softened, glancing over at Suna to watch him ponder over the words. 

He felt rather ridiculous, having to say the words aloud to understand them, but with each word he felt more confident. The annoying nerves settled and he felt calmer, clearer. There was only one thing left to do after all. Shinsuke wasn’t someone to not take his own advice.

Inevitably, his eyes moved back over to Aran who was teasing Osamu about something. Osamu’s cheeks were red but he took the ribbing and shoulder bumped Aran into Oomimi, pointing out Riseki who was crouched behind Ginjima to avoid the antics of Akagi and Atsumu. It took half a shared glance and Osamu broke off from Aran to join his brother in harassing Riseki.

“Oh… I suppose you’re right.” Suna hesitated for half a second, eyes pinned on the black-haired twin. “Gods if I don’t do it now I never will… Give me a push or I’m going to run again.

Aran looked over the team, murmuring something to Oomimi before he turned and jogged towards Shinsuke and Suna.

“When are you going to confess to Osamu again?” Shinsuke said, tossing him a wink and giving a slight nudge to his shoulders, before stepping forward with a nod to Aran.

“If y’all two don’t hurry up, I’m going to think you don’t want to be seen with us.” Aran teased and Suna snorted, walking quickly passed.

“ _ Y’all _ .” Suna muttered with another laugh and pulled out his phone to watch Akagi and Atsumu strip their jackets off to try and force Riseki into them as well. Osamu perked up as soon as he saw Suna coming, moving to his side to help him angle the camera for the best recording.

“Do you think Riseki is sufferin’ just a bit too much?” Aran asked, wincing as Akagi jumped on the wing spiker’s back.

“Nah, I think he likes it. If he didn’t I’m sure Ginjima would intervene.” Shinsuke hummed, turning his gaze on Aran again.

The golden lights of the square turned Aran’s skin to liquid gold, the strong jaw accented by the firelight. It would be incredibly rude to kiss him in public, but Shinsuke couldn’t help but think he wouldn’t mind breaking the rules for him.

“They’re gonna catch colds and I’m going to be the one who suffers.” Aran grumbled, before he shook his head fondly and turned to meet Shinsuke’s gaze. He smiled, that cursed smile that made Shinsuke feel like mush and wonder how anyone got anything done in life if everyone was running around feeling like this every time they had a crush on someone.

“You’re looking at me funny.” Aran said and Shinsuke rolled his eyes, stepping forward and letting himself fall into Aran’s side. Aran barely twitched at the weight, just looking amused as Shinsuke shoved a hand in his coat pocket and used it to drag him forward toward the team.

“You’ve been looking at me funny since you were sixteen, I’m allowed to return the favor.”

“I haven’t been looking at you  _ funny _ ,” Aran sounded offended and for half a second Shinsuke felt guilty, “I’m too good looking for that, be more grateful.”

Shinsuke laughed. He couldn’t even think about holding it back, laughing as hard as he could and falling into Aran’s side again. Two arms enveloped him to keep him from falling as Shinsuke shook with another laugh.

He couldn’t help it, didn’t particularly want to help it. He felt as at home as he could ever be, watching Aran’s face light up with confusion and joy. The team was catcalling behind them and it just made Shinsuke laugh again because that was  _ his  _ absolutely ridiculous team howling like a pack of dogs. He loved them, everyone of them.

And he was so desperately in love with Ojiro Aran.

Rejection didn’t matter, thirteen years from now didn’t matter.  _ Now _ is what mattered.

Seeing Aran’s smile and hearing his jokes mattered, not the fear that Aran would walk away if he knew of Shinsuke’s feelings. Watching Aran laugh with the team and know that they were all safe and healthy mattered. Helping Suna relax and feel comfortable with his own future, that’s what mattered.

“Kita Shinsuke, you are starting to scare me.” Aran warned, but his arms didn’t waver from Shinsuke’s waist and his eyes stayed locked on Shinsuke’s smile.

“Don’t be mean to me, Granny’s here in Tokyo with me, I’ll tell her how horrible you’re being.” Shinsuke teased softly, the confession on the tip of his tongue at the way Aran’s eyes crinkled with a laugh.

“Never.” Aran said and Shinsuke felt his arms relax for a moment like Aran was going to let go. Then they tightened again and the press of Aran’s forehead against his kept him pinned perfectly in the moment.

“I gotta say this now or I’m going to waste another year pullin’ a ‘Samu… Shin, I love you.” Aran’s voice was soft, deep, and warm. The words reverberated in Shinsuke’s mind as he tried to process how Aran had beaten him to it (and what was ‘pulling an Osamu’?).

“I mean it, I have for a while but I thought it was just a crush in High School, then work took off and we were so far apart. Then we made it work anyways and I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life making everything work with you and seeing you and loving you.” Aran rambled without realizing it and Shinsuke let go of his pocket to squish his face.

“Aran. Kiss me.”

Shinsuke wasn’t sure what was louder as Aran’s lips finally met his, the sound of the bell tolling the New Years or the team screaming ‘Finally!’ behind them.

Aran and Shinsuke straightened for half a second, tossing pointed looks at Osamu and Suna who were determinedly looking away from each other. Suna glanced at Shinsuke, then at Osamu and shoved his hand out to wrap it around Osamu’s.

“Oh thank the gods, mom and dad can die happy now.” Atsumu said loudly and seconds later he had snowballs being pelted at his head.

Shinsuke watched just long enough to see one snowball get Atsumu directly in the face, before he was turning Aran’s gaze back on him. 

“I love you too.” Shinsuke whispered against his lips, prepared to say it over and over again for a lifetime.

**Author's Note:**

> That didn't go as romantic and soft as I meant but then again this is the Inari boys and they're a bunch of sharp edges who love each other  
> Talk to me on twitter @WatacchiShinji


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